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A long time ago I was flipping through a cookbook in BooksAMillion and stumbled upon a recipe titled “Egg in a Hole.” It was the first time I had ever seen eggs cooked like this and I couldn’t wait to make it. Well, I did end up having to wait since I kept forgetting to make it but this week (being Spring Break and all) I finally experimented with it and love it! It’s oh-so easy to make and a fun spin on regular sunny-side-up eggs (please tell me you call them that and not “fried eggs”….we can still be friends if you do but…)

First you’ll need to cut a hole in a piece of bread (if you’re a perfectionist like me this step isn’t as easy as it sounds). Then you’ll want to heat up a pan with some butter and toast the bread on one side.

Now this is where it gets complicated (just kidding). Flip the toast over; crack an egg into the hole in the toast and cover the pan with a lid; let it cook for a few minutes and you’re done!

A quick side note: one of the best parts about this is you can cook the eggs for as long as you’d like. I prefer a semi-liquidy yolk so that’s what this recipe makes (I know the usual term is “runny” but that just grosses me out, so please let me stick with “semi liquidy”…) If you prefer a completely-cooked yolk, add a minute or two to the egg’s cook time.

Also, you can easily double, triple, halve, etc. this recipe (since your major ingredients are toast and eggs and the ratio is 1:1)

With Spring in the air and all I mashed up an avocado and made improv-guacamole (olive oil + salt + avocado). I also tried it with ajvar (a traditional Serbian vegetable-spread); if you haven’t tried ajvar before, drop everything you’re doing and go try some! Ajvar on toast definitely beats butter (I feel a little apprehensive saying that since I’m in the South but trust me on this one)

And trust me when I say you have GOT to make this for lunch (or dinner, whichever comes first!)

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Another hot chocolate recipe? But you posted one last year and said it was the best?! You’re right. I did. And it is the best hot chocolate recipe! So why another recipe? Because that recipe is the best for everyone. This one is for coconut-lovers specifically. (And it’ll probably convert non-coconut lovers, too; yeah, it’s that good!)

I made this hot chocolate a couple weeks ago while studying for finals. I photographed it as part of a “study break” (my study breaks > average study breaks). And now I finally get to share it with you all! Especially since the weather is finally cooperating and below 70°F

This recipe ‘process’ is very similar to my other hot chocolate recipe. First heat up the milk; next mix the dry ingredients + coconut oil in a mug and then stir in about a teaspoon of the hot milk. Add in the rest of the milk, sprinkle with coconut flakes, grab your favorite book, and enjoy!

Talking about books, I have five books and counting that I’m hoping to read (and finish!) during Christmas break. Oh, and I need to work on a few essays for a summer program I’m applying for. And they call it Christmas “break.”

Anyways, find the recipe for this hot cocoa below (hot chocolate vs hot cocoa, is there a difference….?) and then keep scrolling to find some of your favorite recipes from this year!

You guys LOVED these brownies! And so did I Especially since they’re sweetened with maple syrup and we skipped the butter and used coconut oil!

Forget boring, tasteless salads. This salad takes salads to a whole new level of yum! So much love <3

And last, but certainly not least, smoothies. Specifically this almond joy smoothie bowl. What’s not to love? It’s like dessert for breakfast. But the dessert is healthy. And delicious. And chocolatey. And coconuty. And beautiful. (Yeah, smoothies can be beautiful)

So now that we’ve reminisced about deliciousness, sip your coconut hot cocoa and ponder the meaning of life.

I love warm salad bowls during wintertime (and yes, we finally have cold weather and I think it’s here to stay!) Whenever I think of them, I think of snowy days, a crackling fire, and roast turkey. Anyone else?

Just me? Ok, that’s cool…

Anyways, salad bowls are my favorite dinner: they’re SO, SO easy to whip up (basically just raid your fridge, put everything on the counter, and dinner is served) If you’re feeling snazzy,you might even roast some veggies.

I roasted veggies today. I was feeling snazzy.

And I was feeling extra snazzy, so I added some chicken for my meat-loving little brother. (When he asked me what was for dinner and I replied “salad,” the look of disgust and disappointment of his face was too much, so I added “with chicken.” Funny how quickly a face can light up…)

And that’s how this recipe was born. And I’m so glad it was because I just might be living off of this salad for the rest of winter– and my life. Roasted sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, and fresh avocados. Need I say more?

You know what’s really embarrassing? Planning on posting a recipe in August before college starts and then two months later you still haven’t posted it. And add to that the fact that you only shared one recipe in summer…But summer was amazingly busy–visiting family and friends all over Europe (Serbia, Croatia, Germany, and Greece), making road trips with my family, and going to a leadership camp– now that’s my kinda busy, even though it also kept me away from food blogging. But now with college in full-swing I’m turning back to food and photographing it in a desperate attempt to forget the fact that I actually have assignments due soon.

Oh, and back to our discussion of how awkward I can be, I’m posting a smoothie recipe in October (in my defense, it was totally applicable in the August-summer heat).

Even though I don’t think smoothies can ever be outta place. There’s nothing better than waking up in the morning and looking forward to starting the day with a tastes-like-dessert-but-it’s-healthy smoothie.

And this smoothie bowl fits the bill. It’s my new favorite smoothie–EVER. Toasted coconut: check. Almonds: check. Chocolate:check. No sugar: check (yes!!). Tastes like dessert but it’s healthy and filling: double check!! It’s like your hopes and dreams in a bowl–and you can eat it. Which is always a major plus

You seriously can’t go wrong with this recipe. Add more or less of the ingredients based on your taste (this goes especially for the milk: I used 3/4 cup because that yielded the consistency I like. If you like thicker smoothies, try adding 1/2 cup; if you’re more into thinner smoothies, add 1 cup)

Can we just take a moment to admire TOASTED COCONUT through an insanely-close-up shot? It’s life-changing. I’m not sure I’ll ever go back to untoasted coconut.

(You don’t HAVE to toast the coconut, but, you guys, it takes like 5 minutes and it adds so much YUM to the smoothie. If you’re really against it, though, fine. Be like that 😉

So, since you absolutely cannot go wrong with this AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS dessert-breakfast-in-a-bowl, what are you waiting for?? Nothing, that’s what!

In a blender add the drained almonds and dates, ½ of the toasted coconut, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, ground flax (optional), and frozen banana. Blend on high until smooth.

Top with the rest of the toasted coconut and any other toppings you enjoy!

Notes

*If you’re not a dark chocolate fan, I would suggest adding only 1 tbsp**Cut the banana into fourths (or so) and freeze overnight (or for at least 3 hours)***If gluten-intolerant, check that your oats are gluten-free****Soaking the almonds overnight not only softens them but also makes it easier for them to be digested. Soaking the dates makes it easier for them to blend into the smoothie.

Little me wasn’t a very picky eater. but there were some foods I wouldn’t touch: like spinach and pancakes (it was a shame, I know).

And then there were the foods I couldn’t stop eating, like waffles. The best part: my mom used the same recipe for waffles and pancakes. They were the exact same recipe! But I guess I just wanted it in waffle form (which makes no sense, but do picky eaters ever make sense? Yeah, didn’t think so)

So, on to these waffles. Also known as “Waffles for Me, Myself, and I.” For those mornings when you’re making breakfast for yourself and don’t want to make a dozen waffles–because, if you’re like me, you will eat the said dozen waffles.

To resist the temptation of scarfing down eating a dozen waffles, I scaled down the recipe for “Me, Myself, and I Waffles” (that phrase is way too much fun to say) It makes two to three waffles, depending on your waffle maker.

Personally I like drizzling them with honey, but maple syrup is delicious and also a classic. Fresh fruits (blueberries, strawberries, black berries, etc) go wonderfully with waffles as well!

Have you ever just wanted brownies? Like I-need-I-want-brownies-right-now-no-questions-asked. I’ve had that feeling quite a few days recently. But the making-brownies part just wasn’t happening.

But then it happened.

Aaaaaand I didn’t have enough eggs. Of course. But the I-need-I-want-brownies-right-now-no-questions-asked feeling wasn’t going away. So I turned vegan. For the moment.

And, guys, these brownies are better than any other brownie, vegan or (*gulp* am I seriously making this confession??) non-vegan, I have ever tried. So moist and rich and easy-to-make! These are a few of my favorite things

And you get brownie points if you didn’t read/sing that last sentence in Maria’s voice

(Get it? Brownie points?) 😉

But seriously, these brownies are sooo easy to make. And the batter is so….glossy.

Yeah, what a strange word to describe batter. But, as I was spreading it in the pan with my handy-dandy spatula, I couldn’t help but notice. “Glossy” just totally describes what was in that pan. Was it because of the flax eggs? Maybe. But whatever the reason, it was beautiful. *wipes tear*

1 can coconut cream**, refrigerated overnight (or for at least three hours)

1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

To make the brownies:

Heat the oven to 350F.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Stir the cocoa powder into the melted coconut oil. Blend in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Blend in the flour mixture until well combined.

In a greased 8x11inch baking pan pour and evenly spread the brownie batter; bake for about 15 minutes and let cool.

To make the whipped coconut cream:

Take the coconut cream out of the fridge and turn it upside down. Open it, drain the liquid on top (save this for another recipe; it goes great in smoothies!) and scoop the cream into a tall bowl.

Using an electric mixer at medium-high speed, whip up the cream (about a minute). Add in the maple syrup and whipped to combine.

Spread the whipped coconut cream on the cooled brownies. Cut and serve (or cover and refrigerate until serving)

Notes

*1 flax egg = 1tbsp ground flax + 2½ tbsp water + mix + let sit for five minutes **I found cans of coconut cream at Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find a can of coconut cream, you can use a can (or two) of coconut milk (just use the cream on top and save the milk for another recipe)

Yeah, you read that right. This is insane! Insanely good. And insanely easy. Like the you-can-hardly-believe-it’s-this-easy kinda easy. No joke. And none of the pie dough mumbojumbo. No cutting-butter-into-the-dough-and-making-sure-it-doesn’t-melt drama. (And yes, for me it can turn into a drama)

To make this amazing, delicious, I-could-eat-this-everyday crust, first peel the sweet potatoes (I hope that’s kinda a no-brainer…) Then cut ’em up. Throw ’em in a pan with some oil and salt. If you’re feeling extra adventurous add some fresh herbs (I used rosemary; amazing!). Bake it. Nicely arrange the baked potatoes in the pan.

That’s it. Seriously.

This is before I “nicely arranged” it; even though, when I think about it now, I don’t see why you can’t just leave it like this when you’re having a lazy day (which is basically every day for me)

And now I’m craving this again. Yeah, I could eat the crust by itself.

But that would kinda defeat the purpose of its being a crust. So I filled it with a yummy quiche filling. More on that later!

Oh, and did I mention this crust is totally gluten free? That’s just an added bonus 😉

I’m keeping this post short and sweet because this recipe is short and sweet and I’m drowning in school x| (A little more than a month before I graduate! yippee !! — I may be graduating but please don’t have high expectations for the maturity levels–mom, dad, I’m lookin’ at you )

A simple sweet potato crust that leaves flour-pie-dough crusts in the dust! This will become a staple in your kitchen!

Author: Matea

Serves: 1 10-inch pie crust

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes, chopped into circles (about 4 cups)

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil*

optional: fresh or dried herbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a lightly greased baking pan toss the sweet potatoes with the salt, oil, and herbs (if using any).

Bake for about 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so to ensure even baking**.

Notes

*I used coconut oil for baking and afterwards sprinkled a little bit of olive oil to mask the coconut taste;any oil works, however** If you want a crispier crust, for the last two minutes of baking, broil the potatoes on high. Watch them closely, though, to keep them from burning!

Yes, there is yeast in this dough. But please, PLEASE don’t run away! Yeast isn’t as hard to work with as you may have been led to believe.

And coming from me, that means a lot. Because I used to be terrified of working with yeast. It seemed too picky for my simple ways: cold water won’t activate it but hot water’ll kill it; don’t ‘feed’ it too much flour at once or the whole world will fall apart (the end-result will also taste really yeasty), etc. How to tame the great terror known as yeast? Experience.

And let me tell you, I do NOT like that answer. I mean, it doesn’t seem like a quick-fix solution. But it can be. (If you use someone else’s experience! ha)

Well, anyways, lemme demystify yeast for you.

1) What kind of water activates yeast? Warm water. How do you know its warm? The easiest way to know is to stick your finger/hand under the faucet and feel the water; if your hand is comfortable (not too cold and not too hot) then the water is ready to activate them yeast! (Think Goldilocks and her porridge)

2) A starter…what’s a starter? It’s just a mixture of that warm water, yeast, and flour that’s set aside for a little while to ferment (allow the yeast to activate). The starter is ready to use when it’s foamy and bubbly (pretty sure those two words mean the exact same thing but I just had to use them both!) The amount of flour you use for the starter will affect how long it takes to get to the foamy stage–more flour gives the yeast more “food,” activating it quicker.

Fun fact: technically you don’t even need to add yeast to make the dough rise! If you mix up the water and flour and leave it for long enough, the yeast from the air will be “attracted” to it and voila! (you have to add more water and flour every so often to keep “attracting” and “feeding” the yeast) And that, my friends, is the basis of how sourdough breads are made.

My oh-so-sophisticated equipment for letting the dough rise. I just cover the bowl with a cloth and leave it (if it’s cool in the kitchen, I’d suggest putting it in a warm oven to speed up the rising process)

3) When is it done rising? When it’s doubled in size. I usually let my dough rise twice. After the first rise, punch it down and knead it before letting it rise again. After the second rise, it’s ready to be baked to perfection!

4) Does the surrounding temperature matter while it’s rising? Well, kinda sorta. You could technically leave it in the fridge and it would rise–after hours. The reason you usually let it rise in a warm atmosphere is to speed up the process. You can adjust the temperature according to your schedule. (I would suggest doing that after you’ve worked with yeast-doughs some and are comfortable with them–which won’t take long! )

5) Why let the dough rise after being shaped? When making bread and pizza, letting the dough rise in the oven gives it more “umph”– it gets “light and fluffy.” If you ever baked a loaf of bread without giving it this final rise, it’ll be a whole lot denser (which is great if that’s what you like). For this pizza, I wanted a thin-crust, so I skipped this final rise. If you prefer a thick-crust pizza, let the dough rise in a warm oven (or cold; it’ll just take longer–check out #4 to find out why)

Any other questions I didn’t get to here? Feel free ask in the comments section!

And now, armed with this knowledge, you are fully ready to be entrusted with this pizza dough recipe. Make your tastebuds and stomach proud!

It only takes a simple pizza dough recipe to make an amazing pizza! If you’re feeling adventurous, feel free to add herbs (fresh or dry), spices, grated cheese, etc. Get creative!

Author: Matea

Serves: 2 large, thin-crust pizzas

Ingredients

1½ cups warm water

1 tbsp yeast

2¼ cups white flour

1½ cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp salt

Instructions

Mix ¼ cup of the warm water with the yeast and a tablespoon of the white flour. Cover with a cloth and set aside (for about 15 minutes)

Once the mixture is foamy, add the rest of the water and stir. Mix in the salt and 1 cup of the white flour. Add the rest of the flour and kneed on a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest until the dough has doubled size.

Afterwards, kneed the dough for a few minutes before covering it and leaving it to rest once again (until it has doubled in size).

Kneed the dough once again (the last time–I promise!) The dough is now ready to be shaped and topped! For a thin crust pizza, roll the dough out, transfer to a greased baking pan/sheet, top with your favorite sauce and toppings, and cook at 400F for about 15 minutes.

For a thick-crust pizza, roll the dough out, transfer to a greased baking pan/sheet, and let rise in a warm oven for about 10 minutes before finishing it with your favorite sauce and toppings. Cook at 400F for about 15 minutes.

Notes

If you find that your dough is getting too stiff, sprinkle a bit of olive oil (instead of flour) on it and kneed the oil into the dough

Crepes have always been a delicacy for me and my family (in Serbian we call them “palačinke”; and “torta” means cake, hence the title)

We used to always eat them like rolls (slather them in jam, roll up, and devour) The thought of layering them and making them into a cake didn’t even pass through my mind until I saw this Crepe Cake by Taylor on her food blog. The moment I saw it I knew I had to make a crepe cake!

My family and I love to fill crepes with whipped cream, ground walnuts (or almonds, whatever’s handy) and top them with honey. With that in mind, the filling for this cake was born.

The crepes are wayy to easy to make! Just mix up some milk, eggs, and flour (I never thought of mixing it up in a blender until I read about it from Taylor and I’m still in shock as to how I never thought of that before!) Pour about 1/4 cup batter in a pan and cook each crepe until golden.

I used coconut cream to make the whipped cream filling. I found my can of coconut cream from Trader Joe’s. Just refrigerate it for at least two hours (overnight is preferred); turn it upside down and open the can from the bottom. Drain the liquid from the top and reserve it for another recipe (it goes great in smoothies! just sayin’)

Scoop the cream out of the can and whip it up. Add in some ground almonds/walnuts and a dollop (love that word!) or two of honey. And that’s it! Seriously.

To assemble this beauty, place a crepe on the serving dish and spread a thin layer of the whipped cream on top. Repeat with the rest of the crepes, stacking them on top of each other. Frost the sides of the cake with the remaining whipped cream and top with some more ground nuts and drizzled honey to finish off this cake!

Can we just look at those layers for a moment? Those *13* layers! Just looking at it someone would think you had to slave away to make this; let’s let them think that and be impressed

Put all the crepe ingredients in a blender and blend on high until thoroughly mixed.**

Melt a teaspoon of coconut oil in a ***six-inch pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, pour about ¼ cup of batter into the pan and make a circular motion with the pan’s handle so that the batter evenly spread over the pan. Cook until the top of the crepe is no longer liquid-y (about 30-45 seconds) and then flip and cook for another 30-45 seconds.

Place the cooked crepe onto a plate and repeat with the remaining the batter (add a few drops of coconut oil between each crepe to keep them for sticking to the pan). Cool completely.

While the crepes are cooling, make the filling. Take the coconut cream out of the fridge and turn it upside down. Open the can and drain out the liquid (reserve for another recipe).

Scoop out the coconut cream and whip (about 45 seconds). Add in the ground nuts and honey; whip until evenly incorporated.

Once the crepes have cooled, place one on a serving dish. Spread with a thin layer of cream and top with another crepe.****

Repeat with the remaining crepes, topping the last crepe with cream.

*****Spread the remaining cream on the sides of the cake. Sprinkle ground nuts on top (optional) and finish with a drizzle of honey.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

*You can use 16oz milk or 8oz milk and 8oz water** If you would rather not use a blender, just whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl*** You can use whatever sized pan you want; the only thing affected will be the number of layers (using a six-inch pan I got about 13 layers)****Gently spread the cream on the crepes to prevent the crepes from sliding around*****Before frosting the sides, you can trim the edges of the crepes to make them more uniform; this is totally optional, though (unless if you’re a perfectionist; then you better trim them edges!)

Hope everybody’s had a great start to the New Year! 2015, here we come! Most of us have our healthy-diet resolutions in full swing, so why am I sharing these rolls with you? Good question. Because they’re sooo good, and every diet needs balance!

So, yeah, that means sweets, including pecan rolls, have their place. And *these* pecan rolls have exactly 1/4 cup sugar in them. Yeah, you read that right! The only sugar is in the pecan topping. Talk about guilt free 😉

A few weeks ago I entered a giveaway on Sallys Baking Addiction and was one of the lucky winners to get her cookbook and a bag of chopped pecans! (The giveaway was sponsored by Diamond of California® Nuts) Can I just say this is one of the cutest cookbooks ever? Open up the cover and find a page full of sprinkles; flip another few pages and find the table of contents: from cakes to cookies and muffins to candy, this book covers every craving your sweet tooth will have!

When I found the pecan rolls recipe (“Grandma’s Sticky Pecan Rolls”) I knew I had to make it with the pecans from Diamond Nuts. It was just meant to be.

To make the pecan topping, all you need are chopped pecans, a little bit of butter, some sugar, and a dollop (isn’t that a fun word?) of molasses. The molasses I used this time came from a quaint little shop we visited when we were in Helen, GA: Nora Mill Granary.If you’re ever near there, you gotta check it out! They grind their own grains and are more than happy to show you around and get you acquainted with their mill. We loved it and can’t wait to go back! (My mom specifically loves their Pioneer’s Porridge; we’ll probably need to head back when she exhausts her big bag of it)

Back to these delicious rolls! The dough is a simple yeasted one, no fancy-shmancy ingredients. Just mix it all together and let it rest for a few minutes.

After the dough has rested, roll it out and fill with grated apples, pecans, and cinnamon.

Wait–stop! Don’t leave!

The grated apples replace the usual sugar-and-butter filling: they add sweetness and moister. The first time I made it that way, I had my doubts, I admit. But one bite converted me–it’s delicious AND healthy? Ah, yes, please!

Roll up the deliciousness into a tight log and cut into 10 pieces

Then place in the baking pan on top of the pecan topping.

Side note–in the above picture, I had completely forgotten about my pecan topping, so I ended up putting the rolls in. After realizing my mistake, I (tried to) carefully remove them, spread the pecan topping on the bottom of the pan, and then put the rolls back in the pan. Don’t make my mistake…

After baking, resist the urge to cut one out immediately; just let them cool slightly before giving into the urge

These pecan rolls come with all the deliciousness expected but none of the guilt!

Author: Matea

Serves: 10 rolls

Ingredients

Pecan Topping:

½ cup chopped pecans

3 tbsp butter, melted

¼ cup sugar

1 tbsp molasses

Dough:

2¾ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2¼ tsp instant dry yeast

½ cup water

¼ cup milk

2½ tbsp butter

1 egg

Filling:

4 apples, peeled and grated

½ cup chopped pecans

1 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions

To make the pecan topping…Mix together the butter, sugar and molasses. Add in the pecan, mix thoroughly, and spread on the bottom of a lightly greased baking pan.

To make the dough…Combine the 2¼ cups flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Set aside.

Pour the water and milk in a small pan and add in the butter. Heat on medium low, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the mixture is homogeneous.

Add the butter mixture to the flour and stir a little. Then add the egg and stir until a soft dough is formed (an additional ½ cup of flour may be needed if the dough is too wet).

Knead the dough for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour the bowl it was in previously before placing the dough back inside and letting it rest for 10 minutes.

To fill the rolls…After the dough has rested for 10 minutes, roll it on a lightly floured surface into a rough rectangle about 14 x 8 in.

Spread the grated apples evenly in the filling, leaving about a 1 inch border from the edges. Sprinkle on top the pecans and cinnamon before tightly rolling the dough along the long edge. Cut into 10 pieces (each will be roughly 1½ in wide) and place on top of the pecans in the baking pan.

Place in a warm oven* for 15 minutes or so (until the rolls have doubled in size).

Heat the oven to 375F and bake until the rolls are lightly browned (25-30 min). Rotate the pan after 15 minutes and loosely cover with aluminum foil for the rest of the baking time.

Remove from the oven and slightly cool before serving.

Notes

*I preheated my oven to around 200F, turned it off, and then placed the rolls inside.